Cambridge IGCSE ICT 0417/12 is the May/June 2026 Paper 1 (Theory), variant 2. It lasts 1 hour 30 minutes, is worth 80 marks and is sat by every 0417 candidate alongside the two practical papers. It had thirteen compulsory questions, answered on the question paper, and five of them included a 6-mark extended answer. This guide goes through the paper question by question and shows what the official mark scheme gave marks for. The paper and its mark scheme are free on the Tutopiya Learning Portal.

For an overview of all three 0417 papers from this series, see IGCSE ICT 0417 May/June 2026 past papers: what came up and how it was marked.

0417/12 at a glance

Question	Topic	Marks	Main command word
1	Health issues from computer use	4	State
2	Features of a formula that a function may not have	2	State
3	A museum’s online booking system and its e-ticket	7	Describe, state
4	Computer viruses, backups and protection	8	Explain, describe
5	Tables and anchors in a web page	6	Explain
6	Reducing the dangers of online gaming	6	Discuss
7	A school weather station: sensors and output devices	9	State, discuss
8	The internet and the World Wide Web, parts of a URL	8	Describe, state
9	RFID pet microchips	6	Describe
10	RAM and ROM	4	State
11	GUIs compared with dialogue-based interfaces	6	Compare
12	A university social media group	6	Describe, explain
13	WLANs and other network types	8	Explain, state
	Total	80

Question-by-question walkthrough

Question 1: health issues (4 marks)

You gave the health issue most likely to come from four habits, and the answers had to be different from each other.

• Prolonged mouse clicking: RSI.
• Staring at a screen for a long time: eye strain, headache, neck ache, dry eyes or back ache.
• Sitting too close to the screen: eye strain or headache.
• Not using a foot rest: DVT, foot cramp or back ache.

Repeated answers were not credited, so if you use eye strain for the screen, pick headache for sitting too close (or the other way round).

Question 2: formulas and functions (2 marks)

Two features a formula can have that a function may not: it starts with an = sign, contains cell references, contains operators, can contain a function, or is user-defined.

Question 3: online museum booking (7 marks)

• Benefits of online booking (6 marks): a list of points, one mark each. Visitors get faster entry because they have a set time, booking is faster than going to the museum, staff can monitor visitor numbers and so reduce overcrowding, queues are shorter and quicker, the visitor gets immediate confirmation of the time booked, bookings can be made at any time and from anywhere, the museum finds bookings easier to manage, and an electronic ticket sent to a smartphone cuts printing and postage costs and is harder to lose. Speed, queues and “any time, anywhere” are separate points, so make each one in its own sentence.
• The device that reads the ticket (1 mark): the ticket is shown as a QR code, so the answer is a QR code scanner or reader.

Question 4: computer viruses (8 marks)

The context was a student who lost access to his recycle bin after downloading a file.

• What a virus is (3 marks): it is a piece of software, it can replicate itself, and it is a form of malware. Up to two marks were also available for what it does, such as corrupting or deleting files, filling up memory or stopping the user accessing the computer. “Switches off the recycle bin” was not allowed, because it is in the question.
• Why restoring a backup may not remove it (1 mark): the virus may have been copied onto the backup, so it comes back when the files are restored.
• Protecting the computer (4 marks): install anti-virus software, keep it up to date, run scans regularly, don’t download software from unknown sources, scan email attachments before downloading them, and scan external storage devices before use.

Question 5: tables and anchors (6 marks)

• Three reasons for tables (3 marks): to structure the page, to keep the display constant, to make the output independent of the browser, and to combine different text alignments on one page.
• The function of an anchor (3 marks): it links to a location on the same page or on another page; it can link the bottom of a long, text-heavy page back to the top (a two-mark point, with the second mark for the long-page context); and it lets users jump to a specific part of the page without scrolling.

Question 6: online gaming safety (6 marks)

A “discuss” question marked as six separate points from a long list. The scheme’s points included: don’t share personal information or your location, only talk to people you know, use a strong password and change it regularly, don’t click unknown links in games or download suspicious games, play games for your age range, use a VPN, keep reality and the game apart, report and block abuse or cyberbullying, parental supervision or controls, limiting time spent gaming (and agreeing gaming times with parents because gaming can be addictive), and keeping privacy settings tight. Six distinct, specific measures is the target. Repeating “keep personal details private” in different words earns one mark.

Question 7: the weather station (9 marks)

• Three sensors (3 marks): moisture or humidity, temperature, wind speed, light, pressure or pH.
• Printer-only output against monitor-only output (6 marks): up to five advantages and up to five disadvantages. Advantages of printing: a hard copy to refer back to, students can take results away, results can be analysed later, printouts are easier to annotate with a pen, can be read anywhere, are easier for many people to read than one monitor, and are easier to read through than scrolling a table. Disadvantages: a monitor shows results faster, printed data may be out of date, printouts are easily lost or damaged, consumables make printing more expensive, printed results are harder to change, poor print quality can make them hard to read, and faults mean reprinting, which costs time and money. Write about both sides, because neither side alone can reach 6.

Question 8: the internet, the web and URLs (8 marks)

• Differences between the internet and the World Wide Web (6 marks): up to four points on each. The internet is a global network of networks, made of hardware: the physical layer or infrastructure, used to access the web. The web is a collection of websites, accessed through browsers, uses HTTP, is the software layer, is an application or service that runs on the internet, and is part of the internet.
• Naming parts of a URL (2 marks): from a word list, www.tawara.com is the domain and index.html is the filename.

Question 9: RFID pet microchips (6 marks)

• How the chip is read (3 marks): the vet moves the RFID reader over the pet, the reader sends radio waves that activate the microchip, the chip sends radio waves back, and the reader reads the data.
• Benefits (3 marks): the chip is less likely to be damaged or lost, lasts longer because there is no wear and tear, makes the pet’s details easier and faster to read, is less likely to harm the pet, and makes the pet less likely to be stolen.

Question 10: internal memory (4 marks)

• Another type of internal memory (1 mark): ROM (read-only memory).
• Three characteristics of RAM (3 marks): it stores data temporarily, holds the instructions and data currently in use, is volatile, and can be written to as well as read from.

Question 11: GUIs and dialogue-based interfaces (6 marks)

The question said your answer must show both similarities and differences, and the scheme capped each side at five.

• Similarities: both are user interfaces, both let users interact with a computer and input or output data, both have a limited set of commands, both are user-friendly, and neither needs typed commands.
• Differences: a GUI uses WIMP while a dialogue-based interface uses speech recognition; a GUI may need you to touch the screen while dialogue-based needs a microphone; a GUI is intuitive while dialogue-based needs its language learned; GUI commands don’t need memorising, but spoken commands must be known and said accurately. Dialogue-based interfaces also use natural language processing, can be affected by background noise and accents, and are hands-free.

Pair your differences (“a GUI does X, whereas a dialogue-based interface does Y”) so each one is clearly a comparison.

Question 12: a university social media group (6 marks)

• Three drawbacks (3 marks): more cyberbullying, students sending personal information outside the group, spreading misinformation, mental health problems from overuse, addiction, people outside the university getting into the group, and distraction.
• Minimising the risks (3 marks): know how to block and report unwanted users, don’t meet online contacts face to face, don’t share inappropriate images, use appropriate language, respect other users’ personal data, don’t share your own personal information, and keep profiles private.

Question 13: WLANs (8 marks)

• What a WLAN is (2 marks): a wireless local area network; a group of devices connected by radio transmission; usually within one building.
• Benefits and drawbacks (4 marks): up to three of each. Benefits: devices share resources, devices are easier to connect, fewer wires lower the cost, devices can be placed more flexibly, and fewer cables mean fewer trip hazards. Drawbacks: less secure than a wired LAN (with a valid example), interference from objects can affect the signal, and data transfer can be slower than a wired LAN.
• Two other network types (2 marks): WAN, LAN or MAN. “WLAN” was not allowed, as it is in the question.

Where the marks are on 0417/12

• “Describe” questions carried 25 marks: 3(a), 4(c), 8(a), 9(a), 9(b) and 12(a).
• “State” questions carried 22 marks: 1, 2, 3(b), 7(a), 8(b), 10(a), 10(b), 13(b) and 13(c). Most of these are one word or one short phrase per mark.
• “Explain” questions carried 15 marks: 4(a), 4(b), 5(a), 5(b), 12(b) and 13(a).
• “Discuss” questions carried 12 marks: 6 and 7(b).
• “Compare” carried 6 marks: Question 11.
• The five 6-mark answers are worth 30 marks together, more than a third of the paper. All are points-based, and three of them (7(b), 8(a) and 11) cap each side.

How to self-mark 0417/12 with the mark scheme

1. Learn the notation first. A single slash separates alternative wording within one point, a double slash separates alternative answers, “max” gives the most marks available for a group of points, an underlined word must appear in your answer, and words in brackets are not needed.
2. Read your whole sentence, not just the keyword. The scheme tells examiners to do this, so a correct term inside a wrong explanation doesn’t score.
3. Cross out brand names. No marks are given for naming software or hardware brands.
4. Count one mark per distinct point. For “six from” lists, tick the points you actually made and stop at the total. Two sentences saying the same thing earn one mark.
5. Apply the caps. In 7(b), 8(a), 11 and 13(b), count each side separately and stop at its maximum before adding up.
6. Check for repeats and words from the question. Repeated health issues in Question 1, “switches off the recycle bin” in 4(a) and “WLAN” in 13(c) all scored nothing.

Sit 0417/12 as a timed mock

The paper allows 90 minutes for 80 marks, a little over one minute per mark. A workable plan:

Block	Marks	Time
Questions 1 and 2	6	6 minutes
Questions 3 to 5	21	22 minutes
Questions 6 to 8	23	26 minutes
Questions 9 and 10	10	10 minutes
Questions 11 to 13	20	21 minutes
Check for repeated points and brand names	–	5 minutes

For each 6-mark answer, jot six short points in the margin first, and for the two-sided questions split them across both sides before you write.

Other May/June 2026 0417 papers

• 0417 Paper 22 (Document Production, Databases and Presentations)
• 0417 Paper 32 (Spreadsheets and Website Authoring)

Practise and download

• Download 0417/12 and its mark scheme on the Learning Portal →
• All 0417 May/June 2026 papers: overview and marking patterns
• Try a free IGCSE ICT quiz

Need help with a 0417 topic? Book a free trial lesson with an IGCSE ICT tutor →

Frequently asked questions

What topics were on 0417 Paper 12 May/June 2026? +

Thirteen questions: health issues, formulas versus functions, a museum's online booking system, computer viruses, tables and anchors in web pages, online gaming safety, a school weather station, the internet versus the World Wide Web, RFID pet microchips, RAM and ROM, GUIs versus dialogue-based interfaces, a university social media group and WLANs.

How many marks is 0417/12 and how long is it? +

It is out of 80 marks and lasts 1 hour 30 minutes. Every question is compulsory, and you write your answers on the question paper.

Which questions on 0417/12 2026 were worth 6 marks? +

Five: 3(a) on the benefits of online booking, 6 on reducing the dangers of online gaming, 7(b) on printer-only versus monitor-only output, 8(a) on the internet versus the World Wide Web, and 11 comparing GUIs with dialogue-based interfaces. All are marked as separate points, one mark each.

What device reads the museum ticket in 0417/12 Question 3(b)? +

The ticket is displayed as a QR code, so the mark scheme's answer is a QR code scanner or reader.

Why did one-sided answers lose marks on 0417/12? +

In 7(b), 8(a), 11 and 13(b) the mark scheme caps each side. For example, 7(b) allows at most five advantages and five disadvantages towards 6 marks, and 13(b) allows at most three benefits and three drawbacks towards 4 marks, so you need points on both sides.

Where can I download 0417/12 May/June 2026 and its mark scheme? +

Both are free to download and print on the Tutopiya Learning Portal, on the Cambridge IGCSE ICT 0417 past papers page.

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